


Anuttarit

by CarminaVulcana



Series: Tumblr Prompts - Round 1 [2]
Category: Baahubali (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-11 05:53:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15966053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarminaVulcana/pseuds/CarminaVulcana
Summary: Amarendra gets a pet dog. And he's off to the Gurukul again with Bhalla after the holidays.Written for QueenofMahishmati's prompt: Amarendra and Bhallaladeva — "Why did you do it?" (could be angst or brotherly banter or anything you prefer)





	Anuttarit

**Author's Note:**

  * For [queenofmahishmati](https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofmahishmati/gifts).



“Ow, that stings,” groaned the 12-year-old prince as Katappa, his ‘uncle’ and teacher mercilessly poured rubbing alcohol over the wound.

He paid no attention to Amarendra Baahubali’s protests.

“You should have thought of that before grabbing that scorpion with your hand,” he said after bandaging the injury. “What if it was poisonous?”

“Well, what if it had bitten mother?” Baahu asked indignantly. “Would that have been alright?”

“You could have yelled a warning,” the older man retorted.

“But she was in the middle of her prayers. How could I come between her and God?”

Katappa had no answer for that. His eyes softened and he simply ruffled Baahu’s hair fondly in response.

XXXXX

The lunch spread was more splendid than usual.

When Baahubali entered the dining chamber, a pang of sadness hit him. The added flourishes meant that this would be their final meal in the palace before returning to the Gurukul.

Of course, he enjoyed his lessons at the ashram, but he missed his mother and Katappa. He missed riding his favorite horse, Arjuna. And he didn’t want to admit it, but most of the other students did not want to talk to him. They were wary of him.

And even though he and Bhalla were best friends, sometimes, he longed for the company of the other boys.

_“Why don’t you come join us for a game of Chaupar,” he asked Rajaveera and Aditya. “Bhalla and I always play against each other. It would be so much more fun to play in a group.”_

_The two boys looked at him with identical expressions of surprise._

_“Oye, close your mouths, or a fly will get in,” Bhalla yelled from the distance. “And make up your minds fast. The board is laid out and if we don’t start the game now, we won’t finish in time for the next lesson. Of course, you commoners probably don’t understand how precious time it.”_

_Rajaveera and Aditya swallowed and looked at each other._

_“Please carry on without us,” they answered in unison. “We apologize for declining your gracious offer, but we have some other work to finish before the next lesson as well.”_

_Baahubali found it weird that the boys answered as if they were talking to royalty instead of their equals. And indeed, the princes of Mahishmati were royals. But here in the Gurukul, they were also supposed to treat each other as equals. He didn’t say anything._

_Again, he would play with Bhalla. Bhalla would cheat. They would argue. He would give up in order to keep Bhalla’s ego satisfied. And then they would go to class._

Baahubali sighed. Bhalla wasn’t usually socially inept. He seemed just fine most of the time. But why was it that every time his younger brother tried to make some friends, he said something stupid or arrogant or both. Bhalla had a small but dedicated group of friends since he had been sent to the Gurukul a few months before him. Why did he seem to have an issue with Baahu wanting some friends of his own as well?

In any case, there wasn’t anything he could do about it.

At least the food was going to be good.

He took his seat and a server brought him a thaali. He noticed that his bowl of payasam was bigger than usual. And thankfully, he hadn’t been served the okra, a vegetable he absolutely hated but which Bhalla really liked.

In fact, he was already sitting and eating. As always, there were two servings of okra on his plate.

“Do you know what this means?” he asked in between mouthfuls.

“Yeah,” Baahu said, breaking off a piece of his pesarattu. “We are going back today. Is mother joining us for lunch?”

“Yes, I think so.”

Baahu didn’t say anything more. Instead, he focused on trying to eat gracefully without jeopardizing his bandaged hand.

A few minutes later, Sivagami walked in.

“My sons,” she exclaimed warmly. “Is the food to your liking? I asked the kitchens to prepare your favorite things.”

“It is very good, mother.”

“Yes, thank you, ma.”

She sat down beside Baahu and within moments, had a thaali in front of her as well.

Since it was considered improper to talk while eating, conversation was kept at a minimum during mealtimes. Being growing boys, Baahu and Bhalla usually asked for seconds.

But today was different.

Sivagami finished her meal. Bhalla was almost done with his second helping. But Baahu was still nowhere close to being done even with his first.

“Do you feel alright?” Sivagami asked him.

“He doesn’t want to go back to the Gurukul,” Bhalla said. “He wants to say here and hide in the folds of your saari.”

“Bhalla!” Sivagami scolded and then turned to her younger son. “Baahu, what is it?” she asked him gently.

“It is nothing mother,” Baahu answered, rather embarrassed. “I’m just full.”

“Well, you know it isn’t a good thing to leave food in your plate, right?” she reminded him. “Food is a blessing. To insult it is disrespectful.”

“Yes, mother, he mumbled,” and continued to eat awkwardly with his left hand. Bhalla noticed this.

“Why are you eating with your left hand?” he demanded.

“I’m trying to gain equal dexterity in both hands.”

“Liar.”

‘Why would I lie?”

“You would practice archery and swordplay with both hands if dexterity was your goal. Show us your right hand.”

“Bhalla, please?”

“If you have nothing to hide, show us your right hand.”

Baahu really wanted his mother to intervene and tell Bhalla to stop already. Instead, she turned to him.

“Come on, Baahu,” she began exasperatedly. “If your brother is being an idiot, that doesn’t mean you have to go with it. Just show him your hand and let’s put this discussion to an end.”

Cornered, Baahu had no choice but to obey his mother. Slowly, he raised his right hand. The bandage was soaked through with blood.

“Hey Bhagawan,” Sivagami gasped. “What the… how did this happen? I must call for the physician.”

“Mother,” Baahu pleaded. “It is really no big deal.”

“How did you get hurt? And I want nothing but the truth.” Sivagami's voice was sharp. 

“I got bit by a scorpion.”

“A scorpion? Where?”

Baahu lowered his head and started to speak. His voice was low and monotonous.

“It was earlier this morning at the puja. You were deep in meditation and I spotted a scorpion near your foot. I was worried it would bite you, so I grabbed it with my hand and trapped it between my fingers.”

Sivagami took several minutes to process this.

“Thoughtless child,” she thundered. "So irresponsible! What if the scorpion had been poisonous. Did I bring you up as my own flesh and blood only for you to risk your life in this way?”

“I wouldn’t have a life without you, mother. How could I sit there and just watch while you were in danger?”

“You could have yelled a warning.”

“Katappa said the same thing. But I couldn’t have yelled a warning. You were immersed in the prayer service.”

And again, just like Katappa, Sivagami’s anger melted away.

“Oh, my son,” she whispered as she placed her hands on his shoulders. “My brave son. My foolish son. I am so relieved you are okay. And still scared at the thought of what could have happened. But how can I be angry at you.  Go on, today you have won your mother’s heart. Whatever you ask for today, will be given. No questions asked.”

Bhalla, who had been watching this exchange with amusement so far, was left speechless.

“But mother…” he tried to interject.

Sivagami would not allow it.

“Not now, Bhalla,” she dismissed him. “Yes Baahu, what do you want?”

Amarendra, who was also as stunned as his elder brother, didn’t know what to ask for. He looked at Bhalla. He seemed upset.

It made him nervous because now Bhalla would be even worse at the Gurukul.

He wasn’t looking forward to it.

But just then, he got a brilliant idea.

“Ma…,” his voice trembled slightly. “You know how much I love animals. Can I… Can I get a dog to take with me to the Gurukul?”

“That’s all?” Sivagami asked, a little surprised. “You can ask for anything, my son. Are you sure you just want a dog?”

“Yes, ma,” Baahu said. “I also know that Samantadutta’s pet dog gave birth to four healthy puppies a few months ago. He told everyone that he was willing to give them away. I would like one too.”

Sivagami laughed at her son’s strange and adorable request.

That evening, Amarendra Baahuabli went back to the Gurukul with a new best friend called Sheru.

Guru Satyananada, the head of the ashram was not particularly pleased to see the puppy. But there was nothing in the ashram’s rules that said pets weren’t allowed. Some of the other boys had pet pigeons and parrots. Another one had a pet squirrel. So Baahubali could, theoretically, keep a small puppy. Eventually though, the puppy would grow into a dog.

And needless to say, a dog was a much bigger animal than a bird or a rodent. Satyananda worried that it would distract the boy from his studies and cause disruption in the daily activities of the other pupils too. Plus, a dog was considered ritually unclean.

“Look here, Amarendra,” he addressed the boy directly. “You are completely responsible for your pet’s behavior. Under no circumstances can he be allowed to come inside the ashram or to go near the temple. He cannot be fed meat in the precincts of the Gurukul.  He must not defecate or urinate in and around this area. And if he makes a mess by accident, you must clean it immediately. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Guruji,” Baahubali answered. With a sinking feeling, he realized that a dog was going to be a lot of work.

But he was sure he could manage.

On the way from Mahishmati to here, he had quizzed Katappa incessantly on how to properly care for a pet dog.

While Bhalla went inside the ashram to unpack his things and get some rest, Baahubali got to work. He tied Sheru to the Nigrodha tree and went a little deeper into the forest to gather some wood. It was starting to get dark, so he worked fast. He came back within the hour with a large cartload of deodar wood.

For the next few hours, he worked by lamplight. Sheru sat beside in in a companionable silence. He watched as Baahubali drew a plan for his kennel. He watched as he sawed the wood, smoothened its edges, and assembled it together in the form of a small hut.

“Here you are,” he said and led Sheru inside the kennel. Of course, his leash was still tied to the tree but at least he wouldn’t get wet if it rained. Thankfully, he had been fed and walked when they had halted during their journey to the Gurukul.

With one last pat to his head, Baahubali left Sheru to sleep.

He was anxious that the poor little puppy would get lonely at night. But he had been told very strictly that he couldn’t bring him inside the Ashram.

The next morning, he woke up much earlier than usual. It was still dark outside.

He went outside and saw that Sheru was already awake.

He unhooked his leash and took him for a walk.

Yesterday, Sheru had done his business barely 15 minutes into the walk. But this morning, he seemed happy to run around while doing absolutely nothing else. After almost an hour of walking around, Baahubali led him to a nearby stream. He allowed the puppy to drink while he tried to catch fish for his breakfast. At least in this endeavor, he was successful. Sheru happily wolfed down a large rohu and wagged his tail in contentment.

Baahubali couldn’t help but smile at this.

He picked him up in his arms and walked back to the Gurukul. The warm, pudgy little dog loved this. He licked Baahu's face and he could only laugh in happiness.

By the time he reached back, the rest of the ashram was awake too and preparing for an entire day of chores and classes.

“Guruji, can Sheru remain without a leash while I do my chores?” he asked. “I promise I will tie him to the tree during class and prayer.”

Satyananda did not like dogs. But he did not want to be mean unnecessarily because of a personal prejudice. Besides, the younger prince seemed alright so far. But if he was antagonized, he may write home to his mother and say all kinds of horrid things about the Gurukul. And it was never wise to end up in the bad books of Sivagami Devi. Like it or not, Satyananda had to think practically as well.

“He can remain unfastened,” he agreed reluctantly. “But remember what I told you. You are responsible for him.”

The next six hours went well. Sheru followed Baahubali around as he performed his chores—pruning the fruit trees, weeding, stitching together new manuscripts, washing the linen, and picking vegetables and herbs for the day.

Just before going to class, Baahu fed Sheru a bowl of rice, beans, and raw carrots.

The Sanskrit lesson went without interruption. As did the one on geometry. Trouble came during the Telugu class with Acharya Nakulagupta.

Nityarama, an upperclassman, came looking for him.

“Pranam, Guruji,” he greeted the teacher. “Baahubali’s pet dog has made a mess around the Nigrodha tree. Swami Satyananda wants him to come now and clean it up.”

Bhalla, who was sitting only a few feet away snorted loudly. That set off a chain reaction. Soon, the entire class was laughing.

Baahu’s cheeks reddened but he managed to retain his composure.

“You may leave, Amarendra,” the teacher gave him his permission.

He came out of the class and made his way to the Nigrodha tree. Swami Satyananda was already there.

“Baahubali, your dog made a mess. Clean it up and find another place to tie him up. The Nigrodha is a sacred tree. I don’t want it soiled by a dog’s bodily wastes. Also, since you are to be held accountable for your dog’s infractions, you will face punishment for this. You will spend the entire day tomorrow cleaning the temple. I want to see the floors spotless. And every single statue must be washed and polished by hand. If I find even one speck of dirt anywhere, you will redo everything all over again.”

“Yes, Guruji,” he mumbled and got to work. It was unpleasant to say the least. He used dried leaves to pick up the worst of the mess. And then he covered it up with clean earth from a few feet away.

Sheru looked guilty, as if he knew he had been a bad dog.

But Baahu wasn’t mad at him.

“It isn’t your fault,” he reassured his furry, little friend. “Don’t worry. You will learn. And then there will be no more accidents.”

XXXXX

Unfortunately, over the next few weeks, many more ‘accidents’ took place. And for each of them, Baahu was reprimanded in some way. However, the good thing was that the accidents had become fewer and fewer recently.

Sheru and his master had figured out a rhythm for themselves. Baahu took him straight to the stream every morning and caught him a fish for breakfast. After that, they walked for almost an hour, during which the dog relieved himself. In the evenings, before eating his own dinner, Baahu fed Sheru again and an hour later, they went for another walk.

Several times in a day, in between his chores and his lessons, Baahu made it a point to come out and pet the dog, rub his belly, scratch him behind his ears, and give him a treat of some sort, usually a small piece of fruit. Before bedtime, he tried to train him to obey basic commands like ‘sit,’ ‘stay,’ ‘fetch,’ ‘halt,’ and ‘run.’ After that, the two cuddled up together until it was time to retire for the night.  Sometimes, Baahu even sang him a lullaby, much to the amusement of the other boys. It entertained them greatly to see the strong, skilled prince of Mahishmati switch gears so dramatically. Often, while singing, his voice dropped to a soothing whisper as he cooed nonsense into the ears of his beloved pet.

As their relationship deepened, Baahu noticed a change in his classmates. They often joined him when he walked Sheru. Once, Dheeraj caught a pulasa, one of the tastiest fish in the river, for Sheru to eat. Other times, they agreed to peel the carrots for his lunch. Sometimes, they came and offered him treats in between their lessons as well. And through their love for the dog, they developed a friendship with his owner.

Baahubali now had a number of people to play with. They often invited him to join them for chaupar, ashtapada, chess, snakes and ladders, skipping stones, and tag. For hours, they would talk about philosophy, politics, and literature.

Soon, Baahu developed his own circle of friends and he no longer needed his elder brother for everything.

Of course, this did not sit well with Bhalla. Initially, he had enjoyed watching his younger brother struggle with the dog. It had given him immense pleasure to see him pick up dog shit and deal with all kinds of backbreaking punishments from chopping 100 kilos of wood for furniture to peeling 12 sacks of potatoes for a Brahman Bhoj.

But now, he was back to where he had started.

Somehow, Baahu had again managed to turn the situation around.

Not only did he have a loyal companion in that dog, he had also managed to make friends with the other students at the ashram. Even the gurus had grudgingly accepted the dog and did not punish him too harshly for any mistakes.

Bhalla seethed. It was the same story always. Baahu could do no wrong. Not for his mother. And not for these stupid teachers.

Maybe, if he couldn’t win, it would be best if he just gave in.

From that day onwards, Bhalla took an active interest in Sheru’s care.

He joined his brother and his friends in their morning excursions. He offered treats to the dog as well. And just like everyone else, he ooohed and aaahed at his antics.

For once, the camaraderie between the brothers was like that of Rama and Lakshmana. They both relied on each other. They had common friends in addition to their own separate groups. And life in the Gurukul was as perfect as could be. All spring and summer, they had fun like only children can, uncaring of what background any of them came from.

But then one morning in late autumn, Baahu woke up with a bad cold.

“Aaaaatishoo,” he sneezed.

“Brother, you are sick,” Bhalla rushed to his side and placed his hand on his forehead. “Oh no. You’re burning up. See, this is what happens when you don’t listen. I had told you to not go out in the rain yesterday. But do you ever listen?”

“Bhalla, I am sick,” Baahu groaned. “Can you please spare me the lecture.”

“I think you should stay in bed today. I will go inform Guruji.”

“I need to take Sheru for a walk.”

“Don’t worry about that. I can do it today.”

With that, Bhalla went out to inform Swami Satyananda that Baahu was sick and would not be attending classes that day. He even offered to do his chores for him because that was his duty as the elder brother.

By the time he returned to the dormitory, the other boys had woken up as well.

“I can come with you,” Prithvi offered. “That way you won’t have to take him out by yourself.”

Bhalla laughed.

“You think I can’t handle a dog by myself?” he chuckled. “Come on, you are all younger than me. I’ll take Sheru for a walk. Don’t let Baahu get out of bed for anything. I’m doing his chores today. And to make sure he actually listens for once, you stay right here with Mr. Headcold.”

Baahu would have retorted to that with a wisecrack of his own but he was just too surprised and grateful to say anything.

Bhalla took Sheru out to the same path he usually followed. Like every other morning, the dog sniffed everything he came across and raised his leg on every tree, shrub, and rock. As they neared the stream, Bhalla took the time to look around.

He had come here a few times with his brother and the other boys, but he had never paid much attention to his surroundings. However, now that he did, he noticed that there were pathways and dirt roads that led to God-only-knew where.

A terribly enticing thought entered his mind.

He had been about to take out his fishing rod but he decided not to.

“Come, Sheru,” he said, gently tugging at the dog’s leash. “Why don’t we explore something different today.”

And they walked away from the stream, into a much deeper part of the jungle. It was still early, so Bhalla knew he could take his time. They walked for a good hour before arriving at the river.

He tied the leash to a nearby rock and stepped back to check out the trees.

Sheru’s instincts told him something was seriously wrong. He started barking frantically. He barked as if possessed but Bhalla paid no mind to it.

Instead, he used his considerable strength to tear out a large piece of bark from a tall, ancient-looking redwood tree. The piece he managed to break off was at least 15-inches thick, 2-feet wide, and a foot-and-a-half long.

He then unleashed the still-barking dog and sat him down in the middle of the bark’s inner side. Sheru tried to make a dash for it, but Bhalla was not going to let that happen. He held the dog down with his left hand and lifted the bark with his right.

He took measured steps towards the banks of the river, marveling at his own capacity for ruthlessness.

Without another thought, he lowered the bark and the thrashing dog into the gushing waters of the river. Then, he turned around and made his way back to the Gurukul, his ears completely deaf to the desperate cries of the frightened dog being carried away by the currents of Jeevanadhi. 

For days afterwards, Baahu was inconsolable. His reaction on learning that his dog had “run away” had been priceless and something that would stay with Bhalla for many, many years to come.

Meanwhile, Sheru never found his way back home. By the grace of some power in heaven, he was rescued by a little girl called Sanga in a tiny hamlet called Amburi. She renamed him Shomu, because it was a cute name for an incredibly cute puppy.

XXXXX

The Kalakeya had been defeated.

Mahishmati was rejoicing.

The palace had been celebrating all day and all night.

Even though the princes typically didn’t drink, tonight was an exception.

Both Bhallaladeva and Amarendra Baahubali were more than a little drunk.

And drunkenness had a strange way of loosening the tongue.

“You are a braveheart, Baahu,” Bhalla said, affectionately. “Tonight, you deserve to have all your prayers granted, to have all your questions answered.”

“Really?” Baahu asked, his voice somewhat slurred.

“Yes. For sure.”

“Okay, then why don’t I ask you my first question?” There was something strange and messed up about his words. But in his fogged-up brain, Bhalla did not realize it.

“Ask away, my brother. Ask away.”

“Sheru. I know he did not run away.”

“What?” Bhalla gasped, sobering up instantly. “What did you say?”

“I… I don’t want to know how,” Baahubali said calmly. “Just why. Why did you do it?”

No more questions were asked that night and the first one remained unanswered forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments make me happy. Thank you.


End file.
